ace1 wrote:You guys probably already know this, but I didn't, and found it quite interesting. One pick after the Pens took Nathan Moon, Detroit selected Gustav Nyquist.

In the 4th round it's pretty much becoming a crapshoot. That said, I wasn't a fan of the Moon selection but held hope that anything could happen with players at that point. Go figure that Detroit possibly found another gem and we picked a headcase.

pens_CT wrote:Our scouting in europe is non existent. So its not a big surprise that we missed on Nyquist.

Fixed it for you.

This is because both GMRS and HCDB don't believe European players fit "their game." Just another example of how much smarter they are than the rest of the NHL. Just ask them and they'll tell you. But if you ask me, the whole scouting staff, pro and amateur, should be sent packing after this season. When you've drafted for seven years and have as little to show for it is they do, something is just not right.

pens_CT wrote:Our scouting in europe is non existent. So its not a big surprise that we missed on Nyquist.

Fixed it for you.

This is because both GMRS and HCDB don't believe European players fit "their game." Just another example of how much smarter they are than the rest of the NHL. Just ask them and they'll tell you. But if you ask me, the whole scouting staff, pro and amateur, should be sent packing after this season. When you've drafted for seven years and have as little to show for it is they do, something is just not right.

I didn't realize that Maatta was from North America . Their scouting in europe stinks, is more the issue than not liking europeans.

ace1 wrote:You guys probably already know this, but I didn't, and found it quite interesting. One pick after the Pens took Nathan Moon, Detroit selected Gustav Nyquist.

Yeah, and two picks after Ottawa selected Derek Grant, three after Columbus took Drew Olson, four after Tampa Bay took James Wright... do you see where I'm going with this? I think it was more a luck of the draw for Detroit more than a "hey! look at how dumb the Pens are for not taking this guy!!!"

I think I once read that picks in the 3rd round and after have a 12% chance of making the NHL and that no team has demonstrated a repeatable ability to identify late round NHL talent on a consistent basis (notwithstanding the expected response about DET and Zetterberg, Datsyuk, etc). This is kind of silly, as c2i notes.

As much as people want to play the luck card, and that does play a role in it. Hakan Andersson is one of the best scouts in history. I'm not saying he has a Midas touch but him hitting the jackpot on a Swedish player is never an accident. There's others that he found that other teams swiped as well, including Alexander Edler of Vancouver. Great eye for talent.

I saw Nyquist play at the University of Maine once upon a time (probably four years ago or so now) and you could tell he was going to be something...I don't think anyone has been that wowed in Orono since Paul Kariya had that 950-goal season there about two decades ago...

We took a hot-headed, undisciplined player from an organization that is considered an outpost in its own provincial league and is known for producing less than stellar talent due to the players running the asylum there...it's only in the last couple years that the Fronts have broached respectability. Regardless, hindsight is 20/20...

I recall that draft very well. The guy I wanted for the Penguins was Marc-Andre Bourdon. Though he did make the NHL, he has been derailed - perhaps permanently - by concussions unfortunately...

Last edited by mikey287 on Thu Apr 03, 2014 5:49 pm, edited 2 times in total.

In theory, Moon is the type of player the Pens want to add from the later rounds: some snarl and the possibility of being a third liner. I don't see many prospects in the system who fit that profile. He seems like a space case and it didn't pan out. That's not atypical.

I am not as much buying into the theory that Detroit drafts better than then rest. But drafting well combined with the development of players. This makes it seem that they find these diamonds in the rough. They don't bring these kids along til they are 23-24 years old, once they see they have NHL talent they don't rush them they teach them more that allows them to come into the league an be successful.

Either way its a very successful formula they have working over there.

pens_CT wrote:Our scouting in europe is non existent. So its not a big surprise that we missed on Nyquist.

Fixed it for you.

This is because both GMRS and HCDB don't believe European players fit "their game." Just another example of how much smarter they are than the rest of the NHL. Just ask them and they'll tell you. But if you ask me, the whole scouting staff, pro and amateur, should be sent packing after this season. When you've drafted for seven years and have as little to show for it is they do, something is just not right.

I didn't realize that Maatta was from North America :P . Their scouting in europe stinks, is more the issue than not liking europeans.

I don't know if this has been said (because I don't feel like reading back through), but the first thing I thought of when reading this had nothing to do with the fact that we could've had him...no...I read "Nathan Moon" and I suddenly remembered just how long ago that was when we drafted him...and I thought to myself, even if we would've drafted Nyquist, 80% of our fanbase would've labeled him a failure and a waste two years ago simply because he hadn't already made it to the NHL.

Very few do it as well as Detroit, and, while many of them are pretty terrible people, their fanbase knows how to be patient with players.